General WATSON. That is true. Mr. PASSMAN. With these schoolrooms being air conditioned, are you going to adjust them to about the same temperature and humidity that you have in other schools on the island, or are you going to provide first-class air conditioning? General WATSON. This will be the minimum cost to keep the sound out, and at the same time make the students as comfortable as those in other schools. Mrs. HANSEN. Is there any long-range planning whereby you could perhaps move your schools and rebuild or replace them so this problem could be eliminated. General WATSON. We would have to move the communities, and this would be extremely hard to do. OPERATING COST OF AIR CONDITIONING Mr. COHELAN. General, what about the recurring operating expenses? How is this going to be handled? General WATSON. The government of the Ryukyu Islands is responsible for paying for all costs of operation and maintenance of the schools. Mr. COHELAN. What this means is, we will be responsible for the capital outlay to make this improvement which includes putting it in an environment that will permit teaching, but the GRI will carry the expense of the operation and maintenance of this improvement. General WATSON. Yes, sir. PROCUREMENT OF U.S.-BUILT AIR CONDITIONERS Mr. PASSMAN. Inasmuch as we are furnishing the capital outlay, it will be American air-conditioning units, will it not, or will it be on a low-bid basis? General WATSON. Yes. It should be at the least cost to the United States, regardless of where we can get them in accordance with present directives on gold flow. Mr. PASSMAN. Under those conditions the poor old United States will not have a chance to furnish these air-conditioning units. I was in Kansas City on January 26 and I went through a large commercial refrigeration plant, one my company has purchased from for many, many years. The president of the company said to me: Otto, I am almost ashamed of this, but we have to remain competitive. This stainless steel, all of it, came from Japan. We buy it $11 a ton cheaper from Japan than we can buy it out of Pittsburgh. I can tell you stories from now until 6 o'clock about how we are losing our world markets because of our generosity at home and abroad. I left there bewildered, and almost heartsick because we had reached the point where these people are going out to Japan to get the stainless steel to clad the refrigerators. I think you will find last year for the first time we actually had a trade deficit. We go down to the docks and take the value of what we export. We add to that the freight and the marine insurance and we add to that what we give away, and we take the old adding machine and total it up. People exporting to us, do it on a free-on-board basis. If they added the freight and insurance, it would be a different story. Only the large U.S. shippers do it. In a true evaluation, we had a $2 million trade deficit. I am in hopes, inasmuch as we are putting up the money, even if you have to pay more for it in the United States, that you buy it in the United States. I do not think there is one chance in a thousand that the United States could ever compete with Japan, or any other nation. It is causing me some concern. I do not want to be a lecturer because I know less about world trade than I do surgery. Off the record. (Off the record.) Mr. PASSMAN. Have a look at this and give it to America if you can. HANSEN'S DISEASE I want to say this, general, and I believe that I speak for every living person in America that understands the terrible Hansen's disease. But for the grace of God, you could be the next victim and so could Passman. You can go into these leprosariums and you will find intellectuals. You will find all types of people, the same as you would in any other segment of a community. To know that you recognize, as I, the need to help these unfortunate children of God, and to learn that you have done so much for the victims of Hansen's disease in the Ryukyus, I cannot help but commend you. General WATSON. Thank you. Mr. PASSMAN. My position is generally known by the people that I represent in Louisiana. Those people at the leprosaria in the Ryukyus are humans just like we and to have someone like General Watson take an interest in their behavior, and give them the facilities which are improvements over what they have had in the past, certainly makes me feel very good and makes me understand you do have a Christian heart. I am sure that you derive a great deal of personal satisfaction out of helping these people as this committee does in knowing that you are helping them. We hope you will continue to do that because to my way of thinking, there is no better way on the face of the earth to convince people of what we stand for than to help those that are sick and crippled. It has been said that no man ever stood as straight as the man who stooped to help a crippled child. I think that would apply here. UNIVERSITY OF THE FYUKYUS What is the educational rating of the University of the Ryukyus, General Watson? General WATSON. It is a full-fledged college level university. It has three degree-granting colleges there now which are agriculture, engineering, and arts and sciences. It also has a non-degree-granting general cultural college, and we hope to give them some premed capability over what they have at the present time. Mr. PASSMAN. Do they have a medical school there? Mr. PASSMAN. Premed? General WATSON. No, sir. They have just a minimum now as far as premed is concerned. They are not qualified in premed yet. Mr. PASSMAN. Are we contributing anything to the university? General WATSON. Yes, sir; we are contributing something to the university and we have a proposal in this present budget for the university. We plan to construct a new science building and modernize and enlarge its English language laboratory. Also, we plan to construct a music hall. Mr. PASSMAN. Supplement that, if you will, with the enrollment of the university at present and since 1955. General WATSON. Yes, sir. (The information follows:) Student enrollment, University of Ryukyus, 1955–65 1, 485 1,719 1955 1956. 1957 1958 1959. 1960_ 1961 1962. 1963. 1964 1965 1, 918 2, 011 2, 158 2,268 2, 356 2, 484 2,465 2,672 2, 832 SOCIAL WELFARE PROGRAMS Mr. PASSMAN. General Watson, page 36 indicates the initiation of two new programs for which you are requesting $395,000 for the Government employee retirement program and $165,000 for the medical insurance program. Give us some details on these two new programs for the record. (The information follows:) GOVERNMENT RETIREMENT PROGRAM, $395,000 To assist the government of the Ryukyu Islands defray central government and other costs that would be borne by the Japanese Government if Okinawa were restored to Japanese sovereignty. The United States has invited the Government of Japan to contribute, in fiscal year 1967, to the new government employees retirement program which is scheduled for initiation on July 1, 1966. It is proposed that the United States, as the responsible administering authority, provide an amount equal to the Japanese contribution ($395,000). These moneys will represent a capital contribution (15 percent) to the fund and reflect an amount that is credited retroactively to January 29, 1946, the date the Ryukyu Islands ceased being administered by Japan. The government of the Ryukyu Islands will pay the employer's share for its employees plus the cost of administering the programs and part of retroactive credit cost amounting to $1,386,000. This program covers employees of the government of the Ryukyu Islands, public elementary and junior high schools, University of the Ryukyus, Ryukyu Telegraph and Telephone Public Corporation and municipal governments. MEDICAL INSURANCE PROGRAMS, $165,000 Effective July 1, 1966, the government of the Ryukyu Islands' medical insurance program will be initiated covering all employees of firms employing five or more workers. As in the case of the government employees retirement program, the Government of Japan has been invited to participate in financing this program. It is proposed that $165,000 in ARIA funds be contributed which is the same as the Japanese contribution. These moneys represent a capital contribution of 10 percent to initiate the fund. The government of the Ryukyu Islands will finance the employer's share for its employees and the costs of operation amounting to $902,000. CONTRIBUTION TO LEPROSARIUM Mr. PASSMAN. I note that you are requesting an increase of $108,000 for the leprosarium over fiscal year 1966. Would you insert in the record your plans for the disbursement of the $125,000 and whether or not this is going to be a continuing program with which you can improve the lot of these unfortunate people? General WATSON. Yes, sir. (The information follows:) One hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars will be disbursed as follows: Nurses dormitory, $50,000.-In fiscal year 1965, a new nurses' dormitory was built at Airakuen Leprosarium with $11,200 in ARIA funds to accommodate the increased nursing staff. The old dormitory which houses the majority of the nurses was built shortly after World War II. It is of frame construction and so badly deteriorated that complete replacement is necessary; $50,000 in ARIA is requested to construct a new ferro-concrete dormitory in fiscal year 1967. Recreation building, $75,000.-The hospital at Airakuen Leprosarium is for the chronically ill. Such patients may, due to the nature of their disease, remain in this facility for years until such time as they are considered "arrested or cured.' During this period of hospitalization, it is necessary to provide a building wherein they may have meetings in connection with their regional organizations, be able to enjoy motion pictures and stage shows, have indoor picnics, and a place in which to pursue their hobbies. A building of this type is considered a necessity for the proper rehabilitation of these unfortunates. Initial construction of a recreation hall was started with fiscal year 1965 ARIA funds. This request is to cover the completion of this facility. Mr. PASSMAN. I would like to have any comment that you can furnish for the record as to the long-range plans for these people. General WATSON. Yes, sir. The long-range plans for the leprosaria are: (1) To complete programed new construction and renovation of present facilities. (2) To train staffs in leprosaria, health centers and hospital to conduct systematic screening of local population for detection of symptoms and suspected infections of Hansen's disease. (3) To educate general public through press, radio, and forums on importance of their cooperation and responsibilities in control of this disease. Mr. PASSMAN. We are spending some $10 billion a year on foreign aid, if you include all facets. The total this year of the requests so far is over $8 billion and has nothing to do with Vietnam or the military. There is a leprosarium out in the ocean off from Hong Kong. My very able traveling companion, Congressman Shriver, and the clerk, and I visited this leprosarium this past fall, as we have in previous years. I do not know of anything we could do that would match that $10,000 check, Mr. Shriver, that we gave to Dr. Warren, who serves there as an act of Christianity, for expenses of the leprosarium. Who are those people? Where are they from? Why did they come? These people eventually may go back to their home and create a little good will for us. This is a great thing to be able to do just a little something for these unfortunate victims of Hansen's disease. I was very happy to have Mr. Shriver with me in Hong Kong so we could do these great things. We are building a hospital there for spastic children. It is going to be a great thing. There will be tens of thousands of people who will see this hospital. We do hope that we can see on the front of it, the name, John F. Kennedy Mem orial Hospital and not called the Kennedy Memorial Hospital, which also is the name of a former governor of the colony. If there is any place on the face of the earth they do not need aid it is Hong Kong. They have more millionaires there than in New York City, they tell me. We built this hospital to let people know we are humanitarian. I think Mr. Shriver has ideas about that and I have ideas. If it were to be called the Richard Nixon Hospital. I would be just as insistent. I think we should identify it with the late President or otherwise our aid defeats its purpose. Give us a push on that. General WATSON. All right. MIYAKO HEALTH CENTER Mr. PASSMAN. Why are you proposing to build a new health center near the Miyako Hospital at a cost of $80,000? General WATSON. This Miyako Health Center is one of the principal ones in the southwestern Islands. This island needs an improvement in the health conditions out there. We feel that this health center will be of very great value to them in replacing an old building which really is not suitable. I have been out there in the old building. It does not really meet the requirements. Mr. PASSMAN. You mention the word "near." How far is the health center from the hospital? General WATSON. As I recall, it is just across a small plot of land. Not more than 30 feet. It is so you can see it right there. MUNICIPAL HOUSING Mr. PASSMAN. How much money in this appropriation has been contributed to public housing projects since fiscal year 1963? General WATSON. May I provide that for the record? Mr. PASSMAN. That will be satisfactory. Please include the number of units constructed, amount, shortage, and any other supporting information. General WATSON. Yes, sir. (The information follows:) PUBLIC HOUSING An acute housing shortage is prevalent in the Ryukyu Islands, particularly in the urban areas. When the war ended in 1945, there was almost complete destruction in Naha City, with very few buildings left standing. Since that time the population of Naha City has mushroomed to 257,000 people and housing has fallen far behind the actual requirement. A housing survey conducted by the government of the Ryukyu Islands in 1960 revealed that throughout the Ryukyu Islands there was a total of 54,000 families in need of decent housing. The United States has contributed $625,000 for municipal housing during the period fiscal years 1963-66. During this period 1,260 housing units were constructed at a total cost, including United States, of $3,230,000. The fiscal year 1967 budget includes $320,000 as a part of the construction cost of 20 four-story apartment houses designed to provide living quarters for 488 households. The total cost is estimated at $1,415,000 and the difference between the total cost and the U.S. contribution will be made up by appropriations by the Government of Japan, the government of the Ryukyu Islands, and the municipalities. The design of the housing units is on a very modest scale providing for two type units. The larger type unit contains 414 square feet and the smaller one 343 square feet. |